An individual from Ukraine was apprehended in Croatia on Wednesday in connection to the underwater blasts that caused harm to the Nord Stream gas pipelines connecting Russia and Germany in 2022, as confirmed by Germany’s federal prosecutor.
The arrested individual, identified as Vladimir Z., was taken into custody in Pula, Croatia, by local law enforcement executing a European warrant.
According to prosecutors, Vladimir Z., a certified scuba diver, was part of a group that planted explosives on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines near Denmark’s island of Bornholm in September 2022.
He is under strong suspicion of involvement in coordinated explosions, anti-constitutional sabotage, and destruction of infrastructure.
The German government expressed satisfaction with the arrest, emphasizing the importance of resolving the pipeline bombings, as stated by justice ministry spokesperson Nicholas Limmer during a press briefing in Berlin.
In early December, German federal prosecutors pressed charges against a former Ukrainian army officer, Serhii K., linked to the same incidents. Serhii K. was arrested in Italy in August 2025 and subsequently extradited to Germany in November, facing charges related to explosion, property damage, service disruption, and complicity in war crimes by targeting civilian assets.
Authorities alleged that Serhii K. and accomplices departed from the port of Rostock on a yacht rented from a German firm.
Suspect’s Previous Arrest in Poland
Efforts are underway to extradite the suspect, with Poland having previously blocked the extradition of an individual bearing the same name and initial last year.
A spokesperson affirmed that the individual in question was indeed the same person identified by Polish authorities as Volodymyr Zhuravlov.
WATCH | Wall Street Journal’s Bojan Pancevski on the mystery (June 2026):
Poland’s opposition to the Nord Stream pipelines, citing concerns of Russian energy dominance in Europe, is well-documented. Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s statement during Zhuravlov’s extradition hearing emphasized Poland’s reluctance to hand him over.
The circumstances surrounding Zhuravlov’s departure from Poland, despite an outstanding arrest warrant, remain unclear. His Polish lawyer, Tymoteusz Paprocki, noted that Zhuravlov was aware of the limitations of the ruling within Poland and his wife was surprised by his detention in Croatia.
U.S. and Ukraine Deny Involvement
The underwater explosions on September 26, 2022, inflicted damage on pipelines facilitating the transport of Russian natural gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
The ensuing rift over the Ukraine conflict prompted European nations to reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies following the full-scale invasion by Russia.
The blasts impacted the operational Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Russia’s primary gas route to Germany until Moscow halted supplies in August 2022. Additionally, Nord Stream 2 suffered damage, rendering it non-operational after Germany suspended its certification process in response to Russia’s invasion.
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